NEWS

Carla Lockhart MP Monday 2 November 2026 Carla Lockhart has resigned from the Democratic Unionist Party with immediate effect, announcing that she will continue representing Upper Bann at Westminster as an independent unionist MP. The decision brings to an end more than two decades of membership of the DUP and follows her increasingly public disagreement with the party leadership over its response to the controversy surrounding First Minister Michelle O'Neill and the Garvaghy

Hillhead Road, Ballyclare Monday 2 November 2026 Motorists travelling through Ballyclare are being warned to expect disruption over the coming months as an £875,000 road improvement scheme gets underway today (Monday 2 November) on Hillhead Road. The work will see approximately 1.38 kilometres of the B94 Hillhead Road resurfaced, alongside improvements to kerbs and footways, with traffic restrictions scheduled to remain in place until March 2027. The Department for Infrastruc

Monday 02 November 2026 The Northern Trust is to receive £250,000 to strengthen local endometriosis services as part of a £1.95 million investment intended to improve access to diagnosis, treatment and support across Northern Ireland. The funding comes as women continue to face lengthy waits for gynaecology care, despite reductions reported by the Department of Health in outpatient waiting lists and waits for hospital treatment. Endometriosis is a chronic condition in which t

Sunday 01 November 2026 Fewer than half of Northern Ireland pupils who had experienced mental health worries sought help, a major survey of 11–16-year-olds has found. The findings show improvement since 2022, with fewer pupils reporting definite concerns or signs of loneliness. However, almost one-third were classified as having low mental wellbeing, with girls reporting greater difficulties than boys. The Department of Health’s Young Persons’ Behaviour and Attitudes Survey 2

Inset: Jonathan Buckley MLA is calling for unionist unity across Northern Ireland three main unionist parties. Sunday 01 November 2026 A call for formal talks between Northern Ireland’s three unionist parties has exposed differences over what cooperation should achieve, with the UUP questioning whether the proposal has DUP leadership backing and TUV challenging its political direction. DUP MLA Jonathan Buckley has invited the three party leaders to immediate discussions aimed

DUP MP for Upper Bann, Carla Lockhart Friday 30 October 2026 DUP MP Carla Lockhart has publicly rejected her party's response to the Stormont crisis, accusing its leadership of failing to deliver the “profound consequences” promised over the actions of First Minister Michelle O'Neill. In a strongly worded statement issued on Friday evening, the Upper Bann MP said the measures announced by the DUP fell far short of what she believed unionists wanted, dismissing restrictions on

Thursday 29 October 2026 The Democratic Unionist Party has announced plans to obstruct elements of Sinn Féin's business at Stormont and suspend joint activities between Northern Ireland's two most senior ministers, warning that the power-sharing institutions cannot continue as normal following the controversy surrounding the Garvaghy Road in Portadown. In a strongly worded statement, the DUP accused First Minister Michelle O'Neill and her Sinn Féin colleagues of undermining c

Wednesday 28 October 2026 Patients across Ballymena and the wider Northern Trust area could receive more treatment at home and avoid unnecessary hospital admissions this winter, as health authorities prepare for another challenging period for emergency departments, hospital beds and community services. New winter surge plans published across Northern Ireland set out measures to improve patient care, reduce ambulance handover delays and help medically fit patients leave hospit

UK Chancellor John Healey before making today’s Autumn Budget. (Picture by Kirsty O'Connor / No 10 Downing Street) Wednesday 28 October 2026 Households across Northern Ireland are set to benefit from lower heating oil import costs, continued fuel duty relief and increases in the minimum wage following Budget 2026, but questions remain over electricity support, business rates and whether additional funding will ease pressure on struggling public services. Chancellor John Heale

County Hall, Ballymena Wednesday 28 October 2026 Up to £110,000 is expected to be spent preparing County Hall in Ballymena to accommodate civil servants temporarily, even though the government plans to dispose of the building once a major refurbishment of Academy House is completed. The Department of Finance wants to modernise Academy House on Broughshane Street and make it the long-term base for civil servants currently working across both Ballymena government buildings. How

A busy A29 through Cookstown Tuesday 27 October 2026 Plans for a £100.1 million bypass around Cookstown have taken a significant step forward, with the Outline Business Case for the long-awaited road scheme receiving formal approval. The proposed A29 Cookstown Bypass would provide approximately 4km of new carriageway, helping to divert traffic away from the town centre, reduce congestion and improve journey times along one of County Tyrone’s key transport routes. The Outline

Belfast City Centre Monday 26 October 2026 Plans for a major overhaul of transport across Belfast and its surrounding metropolitan area have been unveiled, including a city centre-wide 20mph speed limit, new Glider routes, expanded cycling infrastructure and measures to reduce through-traffic. The proposals form part of the draft Eastern Transport Plan (ETP) 2035, which has been opened for public consultation by Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins. They could change how resid

Saturday 24 October 2026 The Northern Health and Social Care Trust is preparing for two days of industrial action by hospital doctors next month, amid an ongoing dispute over pay and concerns about the potential impact on patients. Speaking at a meeting of the Trust board at Antrim Area Hospital on Thursday, interim chief executive Suzanne Pullins advised members that the British Medical Association (BMA) had notified the Trust of planned industrial action on 20 and 23 Novemb

Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins is pictured at Dromintee Primary School with Ailish McNaughton and pupils from the School Council. Thursday 22 October 2026 Two primary schools in the Ballymena area are among 34 schools across Northern Ireland set to benefit from new part-time 20mph speed limits aimed at protecting children travelling to and from school. Knockahollet Primary School, on Knockahollet Road near Dunloy, and St John Bosco Primary School, on Culbane Road in the

Health Minister Robbie Butler and Chief Nursing Officer Professor Maria McIlgorm Wednesday 21 October 2026 Two new initiatives aimed at strengthening nursing leadership and shaping the future of mental health services across Northern Ireland have been launched as the health service faces growing demand, staffing challenges and financial pressures. Health Minister Robbie Butler unveiled a Nursing and Midwifery Leadership Toolkit alongside a new Mental Health Nursing Model, des

L-R: Neil Sinclair, Chief Paramedic Officer, Michelle Estler, DoH, Jenny Keane, NIAS Chief Executive, Health Minister Robbie Butler, and Michele Larmour NIAS Chair. Wednesday 21 October 2026 More than 63,000 incidents handled by the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) were resolved without patients needing to be taken to hospital during 2025/26, highlighting the growing importance of alternative approaches to emergency care as the health service prepares for another dem

DAERA Minister Andrew Muir recently pictured at Portrush Costal Zone with organisations including Queen's University, Ulster Wildlife and the NI Marine Taskforce. Tuesday 20 October 2026 A record 61,315 people have visited Portrush Coastal Zone in 2026, with fascinating marine exhibits, developing shark embryos and the largest preserved thresher shark in the UK and Ireland helping to attract visitors to the popular north coast attraction. The figures, released by the Departme

Tuesday 20 October 2026 Northern Ireland’s leading emergency doctors have issued a stark warning that hospital emergency departments are already struggling to cope, with fears that the coming winter could push services into an even deeper crisis. A new survey by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) has revealed widespread concern among senior A&E doctors, with seven of the eight Northern Ireland clinical leads who responded describing themselves as either very or ex

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald Monday 19 October 2026 Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald have confirmed they will be interviewed by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) this week in connection with protests on the Garvaghy Road in Portadown. Both senior Sinn Féin figures have publicly defended their participation in the protests, insisting they were standing in solidarity with residents opposed to an Orange Ord

Monday 19 October 2026 Schools across Northern Ireland have been told they do not need to report threatening emails to police or the Education Authority, as Education Minister Paul Givan condemned the hoax that caused widespread concern and disruption on Monday morning. The guidance follows reports from up to 300 schools that received the same email containing a generalised threat, prompting some schools to close temporarily while the majority remained open. The Police Servic